Every Rose Has Its Thorns
by awesomegirl9112
Summary: Jerome and Amber. Total opposites that barely even talk to each other. Yet, what if each was to discover that the other was not just who they seemed on the outside? DISCLAIMER: Would I honestly be writing fanfiction if I owned House of Anubis?
1. Chapter 1

**I am going to do something hardly ever done. I am going to write a truly deep Jamber story. One that does not rely on pre-existing feelings pulled from the air or mere physical attraction, but instead delves into new territory for them as people. At least, that's what I'm hoping for, it may instead come off as just horribly OOC. This is going to be a real writing challenge for me, especially since I don't paticularly ship Jamber. Enjoy!**

Amber sat quietly on the bench, eyes closed, just enjoying the breeze. She was out in the school lawn, waiting for Alfie. She looked gorgeous, as always, in a perfectly pulled together outfit. She had to, it was something simply expected of her. Amber sometimes missed the luxury other girls had of being able to occasionally wear sweats or skip a shower. Not her, no, every gossip in school would be all over it if she did something like that.

She broke out of her reverie and smiled as Alfie practically skipped up to the bench. "Hey, peach!" He exclaimed. "Ready for our date?" Alfie had a paticular way of just making her feel happy. Even though they didn't necessarily have deep discussions on life and its problems, he could always make her laugh. So Amber got up and went with him.

They walked into the house at 7:58** (A/N: Their date was supposed to be in town and, thus, there is a different curfew)**,just in time to avoid a lecture. Mara sat on a couch in the main area, a history book in her lap. "Hey! Are you guys ready for the test tommorrow?" According to the shocked expressions on Alfie's face, he hadn't remembered. He turned to Amber sheepishly,

"You... wouldn't mind spending the rest of our date memorizing landmarks of the French Revolution, would you?"

Amber mentally sighed, but said aloud: "Sure! I could use some review too." Honestly, Amber wasn't a dumb as she appeared. Her Cs were carefully cultivated, a product of the blonde stereotype everyone saw her as. If she pulled As, people would just whisper about what her daddy had to pay to get them.

Alfie bounded down the corridor, opening his door chivalrously for her. He pulled out a chair and dug his World History textbook out from under a pile of dirty laundry and action figures. "So. Where to start, where to start." He stared blankly at Amber.

"Well," She said with just a touch of sarcasm, "You should probably open the book first."

Ignoring her advice, he hopped off his bed and announced, "A snack. Snacks always help me think!" as he sock-slid down to the kitchen. Left alone in his room, Amber glanced over at the other bed. Jerome lay on the bed, aimlessly half-reading a novel.

"Hi." She squeaked out. Despite living in the same house for 5 years, Amber didn't know Jerome well at all. They had simply co-existed, each in their own world; occasionally interacting via a prank or drama queen meltdown. The closest they had ever been to friendship was during the election 2 years ago **(A/N: In the fanfiction, the last bit of Jara canon from S2 never happened). **Even then, Jerome was his distant, mysterious self. She knew that he hadn't helped her out of the goodness of his heart, but rather to suit his own purposes.

"Hello." He mumured back, disinterested.

"What're you reading?" Amber replied in a desperate attempt to make coversation.

"The Prince. You probably wouldn't-"

"By Niccolo Machiavelli? His treatise on power politics is fascinating and I really enjoyed..." She trailed off, clamping her mouth shut. She'd done a little summer reading. So what? Luckily, before Jerome could respond, Alfie came back with a plate piled high with. But the damage was done. Jerome was intrigued.

**I won't beg for reviews, but they are definitely appreciated! Here, I will take a page from stuckbeingrachel's book:**

**"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."**

**Philipians 1:21**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! I realize that the last chapter was rather Amfie-esque, but I don't want to be that writer that completely disregards all canon. So, yes, there will also be some Jara but, never fear, this is a Jamber fanfic!**

Jerome silently observed Amber and Alfie across the room. When did blondie here start reading classic literature? He, personally, found Machiavelli's techniques compelling and rather practical (even though many critics viewed The Prince as satire). But Amber Millington, interested in reading something not covered in pink and photos of celebritites? That was bound to be an enthralling topic to investigate.

Suffice to say, Amber walked out of the room rather quickly when they finished at 9:30. If anyone had asked, she would have insisted that she needed to complete her entire beauty regime before getting her proper 8 and a half hours of sleep. Somewhere deep inside, however, she knew that Jerome had more than a little to do with it.

Amber couldn't fathom what had possessed her to just blurt that out. And to Jerome Clarke, of all people! He practically deserved a plaque that read "King of Blackmail, Pranks, and Anything Scheme-y".

At some undefined moment in time, Amber had begun to conform to the expectations piled upon her. While she did appreciate fashion and always trying to look your best, the obsession over fashion, boys, and gossip was part of the façade she had built up around her. At this point, she just wasn't sure how people would react if she told them that the infamous Amber Millington was actually a huge nerd that read Austen and marathoned Battle Star Galactica.

Amber sighed as she trudged across to the girls' toilets. "Tired?" She practically jumped out of her skin when she heard the masculine voice whisper the phrase. Jerome stepped out of the shadows. _Great. Just who I wanted to see. _She thought sarcastically.

Jerome's mind was whirring. He had been planning to wait until the next day to have a nice little chat with Amber. But with the way she had practically bolted out that door? It was just too hard to resist. He would have to approach this carefully. People, to him, were rather like puzzles. Some more difficult than others to piece to together. Until this evening, he had assumed Amber Millington resided safely on the shelf marked "3 years +". Frankly, Jerome was now slightly uncertain as to if he had predicted her possible reactions correctly.

"From reading too much?" He murmured.

"I-I have no idea what you are talking about." Amber replied in a confident tone. But the slight tremble in her "I" had given her away.

"Alright. If you say so." He gave a sly grin as he strolled down the steps.

**Hope you liked it! I'm not quite sure where this is going yet, but I have a basic idea :)**

**For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry the last chapter was kind of short. I'm super duper loving the reviews! You guys are so encouraging :) On with the show:**

Mr. Meryton droned on at the front of the class, writing on the eraseboard. Jerome could see students pinching themselves in order to stay alert. Frankly, no one cared about L'Hopital's Rule. No one except Mara that is. Her curly hair fell into her face as she scribbled down notes in her blue math journal. _No. Don't get distracted from your original purpose._ He thought, mentally slapping himself.

He picked up the slip of paper on his desk. Carefully timing it, he slid the note onto Amber's desk beside his. She glanced down and opened it surreptitiously. _Meet me at the Library during Lunch._

Amber was confused. She wasn't sure if she should meet Jerome. I mean, what could he have to discuss with her? It was bound to cause talk. Then again, not many people hang out in the Library. THEN AGAIN, not many people hang out in the Library. He could murder her in the cold blood and the sleepy old librarian probably wouldn't even care, except to try to shush her screams. That would be just her luck. Then again, what could he have to discuss with her? Curiosity won out over terror.

The bell rang, and Amber decided to give the gang a fib about needing to spend lunch studying for the French test next class. _Sigh. _She also decided that she was getting way too good at lying.

No one was visible as Amber walked slowly into the musty, antique library. She tread carefully, Amber always felt an odd urge to be quiet about everything she did in a library. She tiptoed past the tidy rows of print, taking a short cut through _Fiction: Olm - Sha_ to the little nook she knew was in the back. She set her stuff down on the burnished wood table.

As Amber sat in the old fashioned chair, she began to think Jerome wasn't coming. Irritated, she got up to leave. Just as she was gathering her things, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. "Eeeppp!" Amber nearly jumped out of her skin. She whirled around, textbook held up to use as a weapon.  
Jerome stood there, hand over his mouth. Amber noticed a odd, muffled sound coming from him. "Jerome Clarke! Are you laughing at me?"

"No." He tried to school features into a straight face.

"You were!" She gave him a light shove.  
"I can't help it, you looked liked you were about to commit a murder in a school library." And she'd been worried about Jerome murdering HER.

"It would have been self-defense!" Amber protested.

"Oh, I can see you've thought this out before." He chuckled, running his hands through his hair. "Luring the innocent person who ticked you off into a secluded location to bludgeon them with a maths textbook."

"Luring?" She replied skeptically. "You're the one that wanted to meet me."

"Right." He straightened up and his face became more serious. _Here is comes._ Amber thought, bracing herself for something. She didn't know what, but something awful.

Jerome walked (very quietly, she noticed. But maybe that was just how he walked) over to a non-descript shelf. He motioned for her to follow him and, suprisingly even to herself, she followed.

Jerome pulled a book out from amongst the many and handed it to Amber. _The Art of War by Sun Tzu_ was the title. She looked down at the book, and then back up at him with a questioning gaze. "I know what it's like to have a side no one knows about." He whispered. That's all he said, then just walked away.

**Eeepppp! I do love that ending! I know it took me a while to update, but things have been a little busy :) Thanks a bazillion for reading! "But He said to me: 'My grace is suffcient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9**


	4. Chapter 4

**I felt bad about not updating in a while, so I decided to try and make this chapter a little longer :) **

Amber stood in the Library, shocked. She realized her mouth was hanging open, and snapped it shut. A little wary, she slowly sat down and cautiously cracked open the novel. Amber had been unsure what to think and when she first started reading, she couldn't concentrate because her mind kept going around in circles. With each page she reluctantly turned, however, she liked the book a little more.

The bell rang, startling her nearly out of her seat. Amber jumped up, shoved the book haphazardly into her bag and sprinted (more like fast-walked in those shoes) to her next class. She dropped in to her seat, breathless, as the bell rang. Great, she thought, as Amber realized Jerome sat infront of her in Biology. She tried to listen, she really did. But instead she kept finding her gaze snapped back to the blonde head situated right in front of her face. The steps to cellular respiration would just have to be memorized later, because they certainly weren't being absorbed now.

Why had he given her the novel? He'd left with only those cryptic words: "I know what it's like to have a side no one knows about." What was that supposed to mean? Amber didn't know, but she did know that the book was fascinating. But as she read the question still nagged in her mind. Did this mean that he wasn't going to tell anyone about her uncomfortably nerdy side? Sigh.

But for some reason, amid the worries, she found herself disconcertingly intrigued. As if she could actually be interested in anything about that... to borrow words from Patricia, slimeball! Still, she couldn't help but feel slightly curious about his "other side".

_I mean, it's not as if he's actually this deep person beyond his mischevious exterior. The whole jerk-with-a-heart-of-gold thing only happens in movies! Then again, how many movies are there where the popular girl is actually a nerd? _"Too many"_, _She mumbled under her breath.

Jerome's head turned back lazily. "Did you say something?" He inquired.

"No!" She replied all too quickly.

"Right." He smirked. "Just admiring the view?"

She bristled with indignation. "Please. Don't flatter yourself." Amber and Jerome both laughed quietly.

Mara shot them a look, and Amber had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. Whatever. Mara was kind of a goody two shoes anyways. Surprisingly, however, Jerome silenced immediately and even settled his chair down on four legs again. _What? _Amber was confused. _Great, another layer to the onion of Jerome Clarke. _She couldn't quite grasp what had made the impudent Jerome quiet so suddenly. _All that had happened was Mara... Oh. That was it. Mara. _Shockingly, she found herself a little bit disappointed.

Shockingly. There was that recurring feeling. Throughout this day, Amber had almost constantly felt surprised at herself. It was as if Jerome Clarke had released this oddly impulsive and reckless side of herself that she didn't understand. A side that didn't fit neatly into her little boxes, and made her want to do things like, say, learn more about this brazen rogue rather than just sticking to her ordinary life with her ordinary boyfriend.

_Snap out of it, _She reminded herself. _Alfie is absolutely fantastic! _Amber just had to wonder, however, if he wasn't exactly her kind of fantastic. Even as her peppy, popular side she didn't quite fit with him. _Stop it! Just because Jerome, who, admittedly, has mesmerizingly blue eyes, is showing you a speck of attention doesn't mean you should just give up on your relationship or something! Who said anything about giving up on the relationship, _her more cynical side whispered.

The most frightening thing was, that Amber knew deep down this wasn't just a random and passing burst of emotion initiated by Jerome. It was something she'd always know but avoided, convincing herself she was perfectly content. Jerome had just piqued her curiousity in the unknown, reminding her of her discontent with the mundane. And for some reason, right in this very moment, she felt like plunging straight in after the unexplored. It was with this thought, then, Amber waited quietly until she and Jerome were the last two in the lounge that afternoon.

**Thanks a bajillion for reading! Hope you enjoyed, and I really appreciate the reviews :D**

**Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. **

**~John 14:6**


	5. Chapter 5

**I just felt an intense desire to write up the next chapter quickly, since I sort of figured I knew where this was going. I'm sorry I don't really have an update schedule or anything.**

Amber clasped her hands together tightly, and was filled with a strangely nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Hi." She squeaked. That came out poorly. Amber cleared her throat and tried again: "Hello, Jerome." He squinted his eyes suspiciously at her.

"What do you want?"

"Isn't that what I'm supposed to ask you, Mr. Blackmailer?" She rolled her eyes, lacking the nervous energy of the moments before.

"I don't know. Do you have something worth blackmailing?" He replied with a smirk.

"No." She said, looking him levelly in the eyes. "Of course not. I was just wanted to... Well, I'm not really sure what I wanted, just maybe, to hang out some more or something? Or not, I mean, if you don't want to..." Amber had started to babble and she knew it, trailing off at the end.

Jerome had the look of repressed laughter in his eyes as he stared at Amber a little while longer, just to make her squirm. "Sure. I think I'd like that." He replied, curious as to her motives for asking as well as the new aspects of her personality.

"Yay!" Amber smiled brightly. He gestured to the settee. "Uh, like now?"

He grinned. "When else did you mean?"

She HAD asked him to hang out. She just didn't realize how soon he would take "sometime" to be. Well, no time like the present.

And then they talked. It was a little awkward at first, to be honest, but they both became more at ease the longer they conversed. For some reason, knowing that the other dealt with the issue of painting on the same allegorical mask made them exceptionally candid. This, in turn, led to a new discovery of the other individual's personalities and aspects.

They had more in common than either Jerome or Amber would have intially admitted or suspected. While they still retained a good portion of their known personalities, they were undoubtedly different in this settings. It's not as if they were entirely different people, the others that assumed and stereotyped them had to have something to go off of. They were just more heterogeneous and mixed up, like real people are on the inside.

Amber was in the midst of animatedly discussing Doctor Who, when she glanced down at her watch. "Crap!" She exclaimed midsentence.

"What? Are you alright?" Jerome's eyebrows knitted together in unforseen concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just realized I need to go... somewhere." In reality, Amber had remembered the Sibuna meeting that was starting, oops, 5 minutes ago.

Jerome shrugged and gave a slight eye roll. "Need to catch up with the Scooby Gang?"

"Yes. I mean no. Whatever, I have to leave!" Amber knew that was a crummy answer, and hoped Sibuna wasn't going to affect their newly formed... Could she call it friendship?

She started to run out the door, but as she did Jerome called out, "Hey! I, uh, had a really nice time talking to you."

Amber stopped in her tracks. "Yeah." She smiled sweetly. "Me too."

"Maybe we should do this again sometime?" He asked as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"I'd like that." She replied. They stayed there for a second, eyes locked. "Well, uh, I better go." Amber turned around and quickly walked out the door.

She arrived out of breath to Patricia, Joy, and KT's room. It had become the new meeting place since Mara was often studying in hers. Honestly, Amber didn't why Sibuna had to be such a secret from the other students. Didn't they have a right to know the dangers of living in Anubis House as much as any of them? Especially now that almost all of them had been involved at some point anyways. Amber shoved away such thoughts, it had been one of Nina's most adamant points, and Amber didn't want to change anything so close to her dear friend's memory.

"Where were you, babe?" Said Alfie, as he walked towards her.

She turned her face, shying away from a kiss, instead making it a peck on the cheek. "Oh, you know, just at school, talking to some people." Amber replied noncommittally. _Goodness. It's not like you and Jerome were doing anything. Why are you being so evasive?_ For some reason, she just wanted to keep that afternoon tucked away for a little while. "So, what's the news?" Amber asked, trying to change the subject quickly.

"Well," Fabian replied in answer to her question, his eyes brightening at the prospect of explaining his discoveries to the others, "I think I've made some head way on why the ceremony didn't work..."** (A/N As I said before, this takes place at the same time as Season 3. With that in mind, however, things have progressed rather differently. Jara never happened, and Willow isn't on the scene **_**quite **_**yet) **Amber didn't hear too much after that point. That meeting, she just couldn't keep focused on what earlier would have intrigued her sense of curiousity and excitement.

Her head kept spinning, and thinking about odd things, like the way Jerome ran his fingers through his hair. Or his laugh. His laugh was awfully nice.

By the end of the meeting, Amber knew little more than what she had before it. Oh well. More importantly, she had a date with Alfie that night! Amber tried to force herself to feel excited, but she could only think of the more intellectually stimulating conversations with Jerome. Amber wore her lucky shoes that night, she wasn't quite sure why.

So she walked down to meet Alfie in those red heels and a chic dress. "Ready for our date?" He asked rhetorically as he leaned forward. Again, Amber did the head twist. Again, Amber had a sinking feeling she knew why she had. Alfie's brow furrowed, but a second later he was smiling again.

They ended up taking a romantic walk around the campus. Half way back to the house, Amber just stopped. She couldn't do this anymore, lead him on like this. Not when he so obviously cared far more about her than she did for him. Amber slid her hand out of his, and took a deep breath. "Look. Alfie. You're a great guy. And I love you! But as a friend." She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the hurt look on his face. "I just don't feel like we're really quite right for each other. I know you're going to find an absolutely amazing girl that loves everything about you, and I don't want to hold you back when you do. So, I want to end things between us before things get to complicated."

With tears in her eyes, she walked away, still sad at the prospect of possibly losing on of her best guy friends. Amber knew that it was for the best, but it still hurt.

**Ok. I knew you guys were wondering how I'd handle Amfie :) Just so you know, this isn't going to be one of those ridiculous fics where they kiss the next chapter, feelings for everyone else suddenly melted. So, look forward to a longer ride :) R&R please!**

**But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.**

**Romans 5:8**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the wait (this thing called real life took over, horrid, I know). Hope you enjoy, and thanks for the sweet reviews!**

Jerome was sitting in the common room, lazily doing homework. Or at least that's what he made it look like he was doing. In reality, he was observing the girl across from him. Her brown eyes were sparkling as she read her novel, completely absorbed. That was the only reason he dared to stare so openly. Jerome Clarke had been crushing on Mara Jaffray since year 7, since the fated day they were assigned as partners for that Science project.

As he let his mind wander, however, Jerome kept coming back to the blonde haired beauty queen that had so recently captured his attention. What as there to say about Amber Millington? She had so thoroughly surprised him, and he found himself almost looking forward to their next meeting.

As if on cue, Amber walking into the room. She was alone, which Jerome wondered at. Hadn't she been on a date with Alfie? His best mate, however, was no where to be seen. Jerome continued to look at her, and was immediately concerned with the fact that her eyes and nose were redder than usual. Had Amber been... crying? What was wrong? He thought in a panicked tone. Wait. Was he seriously worried about this girl he'd just barely made friends with? _Jerome, _he chided himself. _Stay aloof. Don't let anyone in who could hurt you._

Amber was doing her best to keep her chin up and not betray her tears to the others. She walked quickly to girl's corridor upstairs, not sure who to talk to. She stepped towards Patricia, Joy, and KT's room, but she thought again. She wasn't terribly close to any of them. It was at times like this that Amber missed both Nina and her old friendship with Mara. Amber sighed and turned around to go back to her room. Maybe she could call Nina. As she turned however, she saw an unexpected face. Jerome stood leaning up against the entrance to the corridor. "Hey." He said nervously, uncertain what to say. Jerome had inexplicably felt the urge to go help her, but was now regretting it.

"Hi." Amber replied, suddenly wanting nothing more than to just break down into tears and explain everything to him.

"Look, I'm not the greatest at this whole 'comforting' thing. But, uh, you looked upset and I just hope it's not because of me."

She smiled a little. "Not everything's centered on you."

Jerome grinned back. "Well, considering it's Jerome Clarke, here, you never know. I do have my way with the ladies." He wiggled his eyebrows goofily. Amber rolled her eyes and laughed. "Seriously though. Nothing's bothering you?"

"Me and Alfie broke up." She had a hard time getting the words out of her mouth, found it hard to believe that it was really true.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I broke up with him." Again, the words stuck coming out. The enormity of what Amber had done hit her full on, but she also found herself a bit relieved. To be honest, she'd agreed to date Alfie half as a joke, but it had escalated so quickly, and she had just loved the fact that he loved her. Adored her, worshipped her practically.

"Oh." Jerome looked even more confused now. Then, slowly and quietly, "Why? You guys always seemed so... I don't know, happy."

Amber sighed. "That's just it. We were 'happy' all the time. Never serious or sad together. It's not that I neccessarily regret breaking up with him, it's just that I'm really scared I just broke up our friendship too." Tears welled back up in her eyes. _So much for not crying._

"Hey, hey. Don't cry." Jerome stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do. "I mean Alfie bounces back, right? That's the best thing about him, he doesn't let things keep him down for long!" _I'll just leave out the fact that I've listened to him rave about her since we all arrived at the school as preteens._

"Yeah." Amber said dejectedly, not convinced.

_She needs something to take her mind of this..._ "So, um, I was talking to Mara earlier. We were discussing some new research into the genetic signals used in tomatoes. Fascinating chemistry, really." He blurted out, mentioning the first thing that came to mind.

Amber wasn't interested in fruit biology, but she was interested in chemistry. And not the same kind Jerome had just mentioned. She smiled, given new energy. "So. Mara. How long have you liked her?"

Jerome, usually a slick liar, stuttered. "Whaat. Mara?! Pfffffttt."

"Oh come on." Amber decided this was perfect, she would extend this olive branch to seal their friendship. "I could help you, you know. I am the love guru."

Jerome nearly choked in laughter. "Haha, I don't know if I need help from the 'love guru', but... I could use some advice from a girl."

"Yes. I am a girl."

Again, his infectious laugh. "I never would have guessed."

"Whatever. But seriously, I'll help you. Deal?" Amber extended a hand.

"Where I come from, a deal involves payment." Jerome eyed her hand suspiciously. "I don't want to owe you anything, Millington."

"Fine. Your payment will be... Friendship!" She exclaimed happily, Alfie problems forgotten. "In return, we have to be friends."

He smiled back at her. "Deal." And they shook. Thus began 'Operation: Let's-get-off-our-butts-and-get-Jerome-a-girlfrien d-(specifically Mara)'. Credit: Operation was named by Amber. Parentheses added by Jerome.

**I do love that beautiful review button :)**

**"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."**

**Hebrews 11:1**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you to all my reviewers :) It makes me feel happy that people liked my story enough to review!**

"Amber, I've reconsidered. I don't want to do this." Jerome attempted to turn around, and practically run back to the house.

"No." Amber said. She grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him back towards her. "Listen to me. I did not spend this much time planning to help a quitter."

"I'm not a quitter! I'm just..."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I just think I should just let this all happen naturally." He

Amber rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease, you little quitter. You'll never ever in a million years get Mara to date you if you don't make the first move."

"Oh yeah?" Jerome questioned. "It's the twenty-first century. Aren't women supposed to be 'empowered' or whatever?" He crossed his arms. "Why shouldn't I wait for **her** to decide to ask me out?"

"Because," Amber replied, as if speaking to a small child, "That's not the least bit romantic. And Mara," She said, gesturing to the girl who had just entered the school corridor who was in fact reading a romance novel as she walked, "Is very romantic. Now go!" She said, giving him a small shove around the corner.

Jerome was just a little bit impressed how much thought Amber had put into her plan. It reminded him of the planning he put into a particularly intricate scheme. It was odd, really, how much they had in common. Making people fall in love took nearly as much predictive study of human behavior as blackmail. _Almost as if... _Jerome refused to let himself finish that thought. He, if everything went smoothly, was about to get the girl of his dreams. And that was what mattered. Not some blonde chit who doesn't really matter. Can't really matter.

So he did exactly what he had been instructed to do. Jerome stepped in front of Mara at precisely the right moment to cause them to bump into each other. Amber had combined her observations of Mara's reading-while-walking habits with Jerome's naturally smooth timing into something that would hopefully result in the classic dropped books situation.

The instance had been carefully calculated. Mara would appreciate a guy who would help her pick up her books, and, not only that, the most crucial part of the plan was that Mara see the books Jerome dropped.

They were classic and intelligent novels. Conspicuously missing from the stack however, where both _Prince_ and _The Art of War_. And, as she watched Jerome and Mara laugh and smile from around that corner, Amber couldn't help feel glad she had left them out. That, at least, was only theirs.

**Hope you liked it. R&R!**

**Isaiah 40:28**

**Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.**


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